VTA, S4IG ink MoU to improve professional cookery skills in tourism sector
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Vocational Training Authority of Sri Lanka (VTA) and The Australian Government funded Skills for Inclusive Growth Program (S4IG) managed by Palladium, with a view to improving the standards of professional cookery skills within the tourism and hospitality sector.
According to respective organizational mandates, parties agreed to cooperate and work to deliver improved professional cookery training with the industry partner Chef Guild of Sri Lanka.
The MoU outlined the mechanism to deliver improved professional cookery, pastry, bakery and confectionery training across Sri Lanka. The MoU further highlighted the provision of technical assistance and support towards a more flexible, relevant skills system responsive to the tourism industry to improve employment outcomes, incomes and service standards.
S4IG will assist VTA with support from CGL to enhance and up skill 80 existing chefs ensuring improved opportunities within the industry. Additionally, the MoU provides for the piloting of the professional pastry, bakery and confectionary courses at selected VTA training centers of Polonnaruwa, Ahangama, Ambegoda, and Kuchchaveli.
The results from the pilot will be shared with VTA centres for replication across Sri Lanka.
VTA is to select trainees including women, people with disabilities, those from remote communities and other marginalized groups for training and skills development enabling job placement into the industry through the Chef Guild of Sri Lanka.
To achieve awareness levels required to attract, retain and engage the interest of the youth towards enrollment, S4IG will support the development of the VTA media team at Ahangama Training Centre through the Foundational Studies in Televisual Skills Course.
S4IG is to also provide appropriate equipment for the reality show productions that are presently not available with the VTA media production team to roll out the Supreme Chef Youth edition, a trademark reality show cooking competition as per industry standards. VTA is to receive support to roll out training to the hospitality and tourism sector through a mobile training service and be empowered to modify a bus donated by Government of Sri Lanka.
Among other support pledged, S4IG is to assist VTA conduct the Supreme Chef Youth Edition as a recruitment and marketing tool with institutional winners competing for a national title that would be broadcast on national television, social media and shared among the existing students who are follow the Cookery Course at the VTA centers.